Providing a launching-way for aircraft



.I. A. STEINIVIETZ.

PROVIDING A LAUNCHING WAY FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATIQN FILED APR. 4 I918. 1,3@3,539 Patented Dec. 28, I920.

awoemto'a Wm M I. upon an aeroplane so that it may be ready R tory, and at other times an aviator may by rates JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, 0F JPHIILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

rnovrnme A riauncnmh-wnr ron arncaar'r.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pmtgnjlygdl De 2%, 192% Application filed April a, 1918. Serial no; zaaeoe' To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that l, Josnrrr A. STEINMETZ, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in- 1 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Providing a Launching-Way for Aircraft,

' areas otherwise favorable frequentlymake ascent impossible, snow, must be removed, and an area apparently favorable, when seen from above, for landing proves to be sand, rough ground, or swamp from which ascent or any-escape ispractically impossible.

It has recently happened that noted aviators have been unable to make scheduled trips from well known aviation fields because rain made. necessary initial speed on the fields impossible, and it has therefore been proposed to equip such fields with suitable starting platforms of wood. There are serious objections to this idea, and at best it is available only on permanent fields. In accordance with this invention, a long relatively-narrow net,.of somewhat close mesh, is stretched upon the ground which it is desired to use as a runway. When such nets are provided on regular fields they can be spread ready for use in a few minutes. Often it is quite feasible to carry a suitable net for use after forced descent in hostile terriprearranged signal call for a net and so save much time,'if not his machine,l1berty or life. I

. The accompanying drawing shows in perv spective a 'net stretched on a sandy beach from which flight would otherwise hardly be possible. v f

Inthis figure, A. represents a strong net of ratherclose mesh and elongated form preferably drawn very taut and secured to pegs B, usually by ties C, or when convenient attached to'stumps, trees, rocks or the like. The net, whenused on regular aviation fields, may be of wire, the fabric being readily rolled and unrolled, but usually textile material is preferred. The net is equally effective on bogs and furrows or otherwise moderately rough ground.

What I claim is:

1. The method of securing for aeroplanes a practicable way upon unsuitable ground which consists in stretching a strong netting over the ground upon which the aeroplane is to move.

2. The method of rendering unsuitable ground suitable for the rapid advance of aircraft thereon which consists in covering the unsuitable ground with a netting of small mesh, under strong tension.

3. The method of providing, for aircraft, a runway over unsuitable ground which consists in providing a netting resting upon the ground, spanning depressions therein, and, through tension, resisting material deflection by the wheels of aeroplanes. 4 i

' 4. The combination with a suitable fine mesh net of a length equal to the necessary length ofa starting runway for aeroplanes and adapted to assume plane form, of means 'for holding the forward end of the net against the pull of aeroplane wheels approaching that end while running upon the 'Y. L. SHALTVER. 

